Envelope handling machine



Nov. 15, 1938 I E. J. DUMMER ET AL ENVELOPE HANDLING MACHINE Filed May21, 1938 5 heets-Sheet l IN VENTORS Nov.15,1938. E. J. DUMMER ET AL2,136,786

ENVELOPE HANDLING MACHINE Filed May 21, 1938 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 WWW INVENT ORS.

Nov. 15, 1938. i E. J. DUMMER ET AL 2,136,786

ENVELOPE HANDLING MACHINE Filed May 21. 1938 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 BY YW/j/A, /d

' ATTORNEY.

Patented Nov. 15, 1938 UNITED STATES PA'TENT OFFICE.-

2,136,786 ENVELOPE HANDLING MACHINE Edward J. Dummer, Rochester;and"Ernest L.

Pinder, Irondequoit, N. Y., assignors to Multipost Company, Rochester,N. Y., acorporation of New York Application May 21, 1938, serial No.209,394

8 Claims.

rected impart-toward providing a construction and mode of operationwhereby envelopes to be sealed and letters to beopened: maybe fed in thesame manner from the same point and along the same path of travel tobeclosed in the one case and the envelopes cut open in the other; towardthe provision of alternatively selected instrumentalities foraccomplishing these opposite purposes;

toward the provision of a simple controlling element common to thelatter devices whereby either instrumentality maybe put into work to theautomaticexclusionof the other, and toward features of amoisteningdevice for the sealing unit whereby .the supply. of water thereto isalso automatically affected. To these and other ends, the inventionresides in certain improvements and com- 1 binations of parts, all aswill be hereinafter more.

fully described, the novel features being pointed out in the claims atthe end of this specification.

In the drawings: Fig. 1 is a top plan view of an envelope and lettersealinguand opening machine constructed.

in accordance with and illustrating one .embodiment of our'invention;

Fig. 2 is a front elevation thereof; Fig. 3 is an enlarged rearelevation, partly broken away, .andadevoted to the region 'of the:

delivery end of the machine;'

v Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 3 but further broken away showingcertain parts in other positions;

Fig. ,5 is an enlarged section, partly broken away, taken in a planefrom front to rearsubstantially on the line 5 5'of Fig. 2 showing theparts in the position of Fig. 3;

Fig. 6 is a view similarto Fig. 5 but further 50 eral views indicate thesame parts.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, the machine illustratedembodies a rectangular base housing I closed at the front by a coverplate 2 fandcontaining'the driving mechanism com- 55 posed primarily ofa drive shaft 3 having a hand crank 4 on the-exterior. A top plate 5secured to the base casing in an appropriate manner serves as the bed ofthe machine for all purposes and, in connection with a back wall 6rising therefrom, constitutes a guideway along which in the same mannerenvelopes arefed and conveyed for both of the beforementionedalternative purposes, namely, sealing and opening. The left hand end inFigs. 1 and 2 is the feed end and the right hand endthe delivery end.10.

At the left hand end is arranged an inclined positioning support 1 onwhich a pack or pile of envelopes orletters are held by hand inconnection with the gauging function of the back guide walls 6 inposition for, feeding into the moving 5 mechanisms. It may be herestated that unlike many machines in the art, we prefer to feed theenvelopes from the top down, that is, taking the uppermost rather thanthe lowermost progressively, as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 2, the en-20 velopes or letters being indicated at E. At the right hand end of themachine is a base roller 8 and a pressure roller 9 yieldingly restingthereon for the purpose of causing adhesion of the gummed flapsofenvelopes passed through the 5 sealer, hereinafter described, as theyare delivered. The base roller 8 is mounted on a shaft l0 carried inbrackets ll extending from the base,

which shaft has also fixed thereto a pulley l2 connected by a belt 13 toa pulley I4 on the drive 30 shaft 3. The-jockey or pressure roller 9 iscarried by a yoke 15 pivoted on a stud [6 extending horizontally forwardfrom an upward extension ll of the base forming substantially acontinuation of back guide plate 6. A spring l8 coiled 35 about the studtends to press the yoke and roller downwardly toward roller 8.

The conveying means that carries the letters along as they are slippedto it from the top of the feed'pile embodies, in the present instance,'a40 rubber belt [around in cross section travelling over a pulley20 ondrive shaft 3 and over an idle pulley 21. Its top reach extends througha slot 22 in bed 5 and rises above the same sufficiently to makefrictional carrying contact with the envelopes. It is furthermorearranged in the direction of travel at an acute angle't'o the back wall'guides 6 and I! so that the travelling envelopes will always be urgedrearwardly and the folded edges of their flaps held in close parallelcontact with'th'e rearward guides, other means also being provided tocontribute to thisfunction though the latter are not important inparticular to this" invention.

Besides thepositioning media 6 and 'l the forward end edges of the pileof envelopes to be fed are held against a gate wall 23 extendingforwardly and overhanging the bed 5 just above the turn of the conveyorbelt I9. Extending between the flanged outer end 2 4 of this gate andthe back wall is a shaft 25 on which is pivoted a relatively wide springfinger 26 having a notch 21 therein to accommodate the belt |9 which itstraddles. The finger has a rounded lower edge which, however, arrestsan adjacent envelopeun.-- til the first, whose frictional contact mightother- 7 wise carry it with it, has passed on. This adjacent one in turncontacts the superior friction of the feed belt and is next fed forward.The finger is urged downwardly into proper relationship with the beltfor this purpose by a spring 28 coiled about the shaft 25 though limitedin its action by an adjustable stop screw 29 on an extension of thefinger that abuts a suitable lug on the back plate.

An envelope so in the grip of the conveyor belt passes on from thisretarding finger to a presser foot 30 embodying an under curved shoe 3|that conforms in general to the transverse contour of the belt and has asubstantial parallel relationship with the upper reach thereof to holdthe envelope firmly against the same and the backguide wall as it isacted upon by the units hereinafter described. The presser foot is inthe form of an arm pivoted at 32 on another stud 33 also extendingforwardly from the back wall. The stud similarly carries a spring 34coiled about itto exert yielding downward pressure on the shoe- Whateverenvelopes to be sealed are fed to the'machine, they have their facesdown and their flap sides up. .Means are provided for raising the flapfrom the'body of the envelope and passing it over a moistening devicefor the gum on its underside before it travels to the sealing rollsdescribed. The flap raising element consists of a rearwardly projectingplate 35 having a flat underside in spaced parallelism with the bed 5.Its left hand edgefdisposed toward the feedng point has an upward turn.at 36 in the manner of a share that tapers downwardly and to the rightto merge with a flat knife-like inclined edge 31 next adjacent to theguide. As an envelope approaches, the edge 31 catches the narrow, end ofthe flap, which latter, as its wider portion passes, rides the share 36and is raised to a substantial degree, the body passing under the plate36 and the flap over it.

The plate 36 is carried rigidly by a flanged arm 38 rising from itsforward edge and turning freely on a stud shaft 39projecting forwardlyfrom the back H. The arm is confined between a spacing sleeve 42 and acoil spring 43 both encircling the stud shaft 39and the spring bearingupon the arm to force plate 35 down to the operative position of Figs. 4and 6 and the dotted line position of Fig. 7.

It is obvious that after such plate 35 is sufficiently raised to thefull line position of Fig. '7

article conveyed thereby. To effect such retraction, the end of shaft 39is provided with an L- shaped dog 44 fixed to a squared portion (notshown) thereon. The inwardly and rearwardly turned end of such dogagainst which the other end of spring 43 reacts engages in an opening 45(Figs. 2 and 7) in arm 38. Shaft 39 extends :through back plateextension "in which it has a bearing and at its projecting rear endthere is fixed thereto a lever arm 46 having a handle portion 41extending upwardly above adjoining parts for easy access to theoperator. Consequently, when this lever and arm are in the positions ofFigs. 1, 2, 3 and 5, namely, rocked to the left, the flap plate 35 israised to inoperative position assisted by spring 43. When movedoppositely to the right (or to the left from the rear view of Fig. 4) itcarries plate 35 downwardly into the operative position of Fig. 6 or asshown in dotted lines in Fig. 7. It is also locked in this position aswill hereinafter appear.

, The moistening device is also part of the structure of arm 38 andplate 35. It embodies a water chest 48 carried on the free end thereofprovided with a nipple 49 at the front leading toward a cylindricalraised portion 50 on the top of the chest that has a fine or narrowlongitudinal slot 5| therein. A flexible tube 52 has one end connectedto the nipple and, leading through an opening 53 in the back plates H,has its other end attached to a nipple 54 on the well 55 of anair-sealed reservoir 56. This latter is in the present form of aninverted detachable bottle having its neck and mouth resting on asuitable seat within the well (not shown). Thus, suflicient water undervery low pressure flows through the slot 5| to moisten the under gummedside of a flap passing overit andwhich flap has been raised by theelements 36 and 41 on plate 35. The moistener is obviously raised intoinopera: tive position along with the flap raiser.

As the flap raiser and moistener are so lifted to inoperative position,asin Fig. 3 particularly, it is desirable to cut off the water supplyfrom reservoir 56 entirely. This is accomplished in the followingmanner:

At the lower end of the lever 46 is a flange I 51 between which and anabutment pin 58 on the back wall extension I! the flexible tube 52extends. When it is desired to cut out the moistening devices and itsconnected parts through throwing the handle 41 to the left as in Fig. 1and to the right as in Figs. 3 and 4, this flange 51 pinches the watersupply tube 52 against the pin 58 and cuts off thesupply of water.

With the foregoing adjustments, the machine is operative to feedenvelopes, raise their flaps, moisten. their flaps-and close their flapsin ad- 'hesive relationship through rollers 8 and 9. Also,

manipulation of hand lever 41 in one direction sealing in general throwsthese moistening and devices in or out.

Still considering the same path of travel of the envelope, thebeforementioned means are provided for shearing a folded edge of aclosed envelope or piece of mail matter. This means consists of anupperrotary driven shearing cutter 59 and a lower shearing driving rotarycutter 60. shaft 3.

6| having bearings 40 in a forwardly extending housingbracket 4|proceeding in that direction from back plate'll. Coiled about this shaft6| within the bracket is a compression spring 62 which by acting againsta pin 63 on the shaft has a tendency to hold rotary knife blade 59against rotary knife blade 60 in shearing contact.

It is here stated that these shearing knives for opening a sealedenvelope run in cooperation with each other at their cutting edges, theknife 60 being positivelydriven and the knife" 59 driven therefrom bysurface contact as shown j in Fig. 5. To guide the envelopes or lettersto be opened accurately within these knives, we

desired to seal envelopes rather than open them,

it becomes necessary to render the shearing knives 59 and 60inoperative. This is accomplished in the following manner:

When handle 41 and hence lever is thrown to the left, as in Fig. 2, andto the right in the back view of Fig. 3, the retraction ofthe moistening devices and the flap raising devices is completed. The shearingmechanism 59--60 is hence operative to open the envelopes fed along theestablished path of travel on bed againstthe back guides. When it isdesired to throw out this shearing mechanism-59-60 during the operationof the moistening and sealing instrumentalities, rotary knife 59 isdisconnected from its driving knife 60 by sliding it axially against thetension of spring 60, as in Fig. 5, to the position of Fig. 6, spring 62being thereby compressed. This is accomplished by throwing le- .ver 4'!to the right in Fig. 2 and to the left as in Fig. 4 to the position alsoshown in Fig. 6. On such actuation a link 65 pivoted to lever 46 at 66and having a raised forwardly extending flange 61 rides beneath a dog 68pivoted at 69 on a fixed part of the back frame. The lower arm of thisdog thereby engages the forward face of cutter 59 and throws itrearwardly in spaced relationship to cutter 90 with which it hadpreviously cooperated in a vertical plane. Such movement, of course,entails compression of spring 62. This effects the aforesaid movement ofdog 68 and throws knife 59 to inoperative position. Knife 60 will notalone cut the paper.

In other words, in one selective position of handle 41 the whole of themoistening devices on plate are raised above the path of travel of theenvelopes and above cooperation with belt I9 including the cut-off ofthe water supply at 5|58 through tube 52 so that no moistening effect isproduced. At the same time, knives 59 and 60 come together in operativerelationship for shearing. 0n the reversal of hand lever 4| (as in Figs.4 and 6) the two knives 59 and 60 are separated and themselves becomeinoperative while the flap raising and moistening means go into Work. Itis plain, therefore, that with the manipulation of one controllingelement 46-41 and with the same certain feed of the envelopes in the onepath, they may be sealed ,or opened at will.

The free end of link 65 is slotted and guided on a fixed headed guidepin H projecting from the rear of back plate l1. When the shearingknives are together and in work, dog 68 dwells on a low portion 12 ofthis link adjacent to a cam 13 thereon which tends to resist movement ofthe controlling lever and link in a direction that would release andlower the flap raising and moistening elements. On the actuation of thecontrol lever from this position, however, the dog rises on cam 13 andthereafter dwells on the raised portion 61 of the link while performingits function of separating the shearing knives 69-10. The element 14 isa flange on the controlling lever that is turned forwardly to engage thetop of back plate I! and limit movement of the lever in the directionthat throws out the knives and puts the sealing mechanism 1 into work.

A machine constructed in accordance with our invention may be maderelatively simple and inexpensive in design; it serves the user in thedual capacities that usually require the acquisition of two machines andin both uses is controlled by theposition of a single lever; thedriving, conveying and guiding means is identical, and the open orclosed envelopes, as the case may be, are always fed in the same mannerin the same path from the same point.

We claim as our invention:

1. In an envelope handling machine, the combination with a runwayadapted to conductenvelopes in a certain definite path of travel, of

a flap sealing device operatively arranged in such path of travel butadapted to be raised to an inoperative position permitting the envelopesto pass between it and the runway, a shearing means for opening anenvelope at its folded edgev also operatively arranged in said same pathof travel, and means connected with both the sealing device and theshearing means for rendering the latter inoperative when the sealingdevice is in its lowered operative position.

2. In an envelope handling machine, the combination with a runwayadapted to conduct envelopes in a certain definite path of travel, of aflap sealing device operatively arranged in such path of travel, ashearing means for opening an envelope at its folded edge alsooperatively arranged in said same path of travel, and a common controlelement for said device and said means adapted to automatically throwone of them out of work when the other is thrown into work.

3. In an envelope handling machine, the combination with a runwayadapted to conduct envelopes in a certain definite path of travel, of avertically movable flap raising and moistening device operativelyarranged in such path of travel but adapted to be raised to aninoperative position permitting the envelopes to pass between it and therunway, a fixed water reservoir having a conduit leading therefrom tosaid device, and a common means for throwing the latter out of work andclosing the conduit.

4. In an envelope handling machine, the combination with a runwayadapted to conduct envelopes in a certain definite path of travel, of aflap raising and moistening device operatively arranged in such path oftravel, a Water reservoir, a flexible pipe leading therefrom to saiddevice, and a control lever movable in one direction to throw the latterinto work and in an other direction to throw it out of work and toconcomitantly pinch the tube and shut off the supply from the reservoir.

5. In an envelope handling machine, the combination with a runwayadapted to conduct envelopes in a certain definite path of travel, of arock shaft, a flap sealing device mounted thereon and operativelyarranged in such path 'of travel, a shearing means for opening anenvelope at its folded edge also operatively arranged in said same pathof travel, and a controlling means on the rock shaft adapted to move thesealing device to an inoperative position and connected to the shearingmeans to maintain the latter inoperative while the sealing means'isoperative.

6. In an envelope handling machine, the combination with a runwayadapted to conduct envelopes in a, certain definite path of travel, of

ranged in said same path of travel, and a con-- trolling means on therock shaft connected to the shearing means to move it to an operativeposition and to concomitantly maintain the sealing means operative.

7; In an envelope handling machine, the combination with a runwayadapted to conduct envelopes in a certain definite path of travel, of aflap sealing device operatively arranged in such path of travel, ashearing means for opening an envelope at its folded edge alsooperatively arranged in said same path of travel and embodying a. pairof rotary blades one of which is movable out of cutting relationshipwith the other, and a common control element connected to hold thesealing device in an inoperative position while amazed:

- the shearing blades are in cooperationand to hold the blades out ofcooperation while the sealing device is in operation 8. In an envelopehandling machine, the com bination with a runway adapted to conductenvelopes in a'certain definite path of travel, of

a rock shaft, a flap sealing device mounted thereon-and operativelyarranged in such path of travel, a shearing means for opening anenvelope at its foldededge also operatively arranged in said same pathoftravel and embodying a pair of rotary blades one of which is movableout of cutting relationship with the other, a controlling lever on therock shaft adapt-

